Stanley Market

One thing that Canada is really lacking is street markets. Sure, in the summer months there are farmers markets and flea markets but they don't compare to the street markets in Hong Kong. Here they are plentiful and they sell a wide range of things including clothing, food, art, jewelry and Chinese souvenirs. Stanley market, located on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island, is an outdoor market, but in the narrow lanes, pieces of plastic and metal have been placed over the stalls to create a makeshift roof of sorts.

Some stalls are the size of a normal store whereas others hardly have enough room to swing a dead cat. One of the most noteworthy stalls was really just a narrow staircase with bathing suits hanging from the walls all the way up. I didn't buy much at Stanley but I had hours of entertainment by poking through all of the stalls and people-watching.

 

The region of Stanley has stunning views of the South China Sea. We had lunch overlooking the harbour and in the distance we could watch all the container ships go by. The view was appreciated all the more because it was the first warm sunny day in Hong Kong in quite a while. 

The bus ride to and from Stanley is just as entertaining as the market itself. The narrow windy roads of southern Hong Kong Island seem too small for double decker buses but somehow they manage to navigate it at seemingly high speeds. It was a bit harrowing to be within a foot of the mountainside on the left and the passing traffic on the right. Many times I found myself leaning and ducking when it seemed like the bus was going to hit an overhanging tree branch or oncoming car. Luckily we ended the day unscathed.